REF-1067 · Desbrow et al., 2014 · International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, · Paper · PubMed

Sports Dietitians Australia position statement: sports nutrition for the adolescent athlete

Adolescent athletes have unique nutritional needs from training plus growth; eat for long-term health, match eating to the day's exercise, spread quality carbohydrate and protein across the day (especially straight after training), watch calcium, vitamin D and iron, keep clean cool fluids available, and meet needs from core foods rather than supplements

Astrong evidenceMeasured on non-to highly trained athletesWritten before October 2026, being re-checked

Sports Dietitians Australia (SDA) set up a multidisciplinary expert panel to review the relevant scientific evidence independently, and consulted its professional members, to draw up sports nutrition guidance for active and competitive adolescent athletes — whose needs are shaped by daily training and competition on top of growing and developing. Abstract only was read.

Key Findings

Position: adolescent athletes have unique nutritional needs, because they train and compete daily while also growing and developing.
Dietary education and recommendations for adolescent athletes should reinforce eating for long-term health.
Encourage adolescent athletes to adjust their eating to each day's exercise demands, and to spread high-quality carbohydrate and protein sources regularly across the day, especially right after training.
Consideration should be given to dietary calcium, vitamin D and iron intake because of the elevated risk of deficiency of these nutrients.
For optimal hydration, adolescent athletes need access to enough clean, cool fluid before, during and after sport.
Nutrient needs should be met by core foods rather than supplements; recommending supplements to developing athletes over-emphasises their ability to manipulate performance compared with other training and dietary strategies.

Practical Application

"I'm a teenager and I race — what should I eat, and should I take supplements?" The Sports Dietitians Australia position statement for adolescent athletes (Desbrow 2014, A) says: eat for long-term health and growth, eat more on bigger training days, spread good carbohydrate and protein through the day with a meal or snack right after training, pay attention to calcium, vitamin D and iron, have clean cool drinks available around sport, and get nutrients from ordinary food rather than supplements. It is a direction, not a set of numbers.
Supplements: the position is food first for developing athletes; the assistant does not recommend supplements to a teenager and explains why — the statement says supplement advice over-emphasises what they can do compared with training and diet.
Iron, calcium and vitamin D are named as at elevated risk of deficiency; a teenager with unexplained fatigue or a bone injury is a reason for a parent and a clinician, not for self-prescribed supplements.
Not from this paper; the base's own practice: no weight target and food for growth for a teenage rider (SYNTH-81); adult carbohydrate-by-load targets come from REF-748 and REF-063 and are not transferred to teenagers as numbers; iron background is REF-340.

Limitations

The abstract gives positions only — no energy, carbohydrate, protein or fluid quantities, and no evidence grades.
The review method (search, inclusion, grading) is not described in the abstract.
A national professional body's statement; not specific to endurance sport and not updated for later work on energy availability in youth.
Abstract only was read; nothing from the full text is used.
How this entry was checked and changed
Why this level

major consensus / position statement (rubric A); the abstract gives positions without numbers or evidence grades